text:
In May 2001, the state unveiled a program called LinkMichigan, which sought to accelerate high-speed Internet access. The plan was to address two perceived problems: a purported lack of access to high-speed Internet connections, and congestion on standard phone lines, which were being used for dial-up Internet services.
The LinkMichigan proposal was initiated by the Engler administration, and the MEDC played a key role. The MEDC had commissioned an economic consultancy group to investigate the subject, and the numbers the corporation generated helped sell the project to the Legislature and the public. Expanding access to broadband was projected to produce up to 500,000 new Michigan jobs and $440 billion in gross state product by 2010.[133]
At first, Gov. Engler wanted to institute a new 7 cent tax on each linear foot of high-speed lines. The $100 million[134] in projected new revenues was to be used to pay local governments to give up their "right-of-way" permitting authority and to administer a new state department to subsidize broadband deployment, especially to areas that lacked high-speed access.
In March 2002, the Michigan Legislature created the Broadband Development Authority to facilitate the low-cost financing of broadband deployment. The Legislature rejected, however, Gov. Engler's proposal for a new tax.
Engler administration officials countered with a proposal to have the Michigan State Housing Development Authority — an organization designed to help provide housing to people with low incomes — purchase a $50 million bond from the new Broadband Development Authority. The authority would then use $30 million from the sale to cover its administrative costs and the remaining $20 million to help finance more debt to generate revenue for deployment of broadband infrastructure.[135]
By September 2001, the MEDC had contracted with the "Merit Network," a nonprofit planning organization that helped communities plan the "last mile" - that is, the frequently expensive part of a broadband network that brings broadband lines into people's homes. MEDC CEO Doug Rothwell commented, "The formation of this partnership shows that the LinkMichigan plan continues to develop from a vision to reality."[136]
But the program almost immediately began losing the money it had loaned to facilitate broadband deployment. Within three years of the program's start, then-Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, who had originally voted for the legislation, had deemed the Broadband Development Authority "one of the biggest flops in state government." Another supporter, then-House Speaker Craig DeRoche, commented, "Out of the gate, this was a wrong-headed scheme." Ironically, by 2006, private enterprise had made broadband Internet services available in 99 percent of Michigan ZIP codes.[137]
The Broadband Development Authority was ultimately absorbed by MSHDA and dissolved in July 2007. MSHDA forgave the $14.5 million in loans it made to the authority.[138]
Like other economic development programs, the Broadband Development Authority attempted to target subsidies to a certain business sector — in this case, telecommunications — in an effort to stimulate broader employment and economic growth. Yet like MEGA and its deals with businesses that would later go bankrupt, the Broadband Development Authority failed to anticipate competing market forces that might render the government's investment unattractive to consumers. And also like MEGA, the Broadband Development Authority was accompanied by early projections of large numbers of new jobs well before they could have materialized.
[133] "E3 Ventures for Michigan Economic Development Corporation: LinkMichigan," (Gartner Consulting, 2001), 11-12, http://ref.themedc.org/cm/attach/9ABEB18E-D404-4A4A-A6A2-40E73280F6D9/LinkMichigan%20Presentation%20112001R%20Gartner.pdf (accessed August 20, 2009).
[134] "A Deeper Look — Broadband Build Out Part I," Michigan Information & Research Service, January 11, 2002.
[135] Diane Katz, "Broadband Agency Taps Housing Money," (Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 2002), https://www.mackinac.org/4196 (accessed August 21, 2009).
[136] Jennifer Kopp, "LinkMichigan Plan Moves Forward," (Michigan Economic Development Corp., 2001), http://ref.michigan.org/medc/news/major/archive/
combo.asp?ContentId=9277410F-A56E-49DD-BE8A-880D1518D0B6&QueueId=2&ContentTypeId=7 (accessed August 21, 2009).
[137] Lawrence W. Reed, "The Price of Abandoning Principle," (Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 2006), https://www.mackinac.org/7816 (accessed August 21, 2009).
[138] "Financial Audit of the Michigan Broadband Development Authority," (Michigan Office of the Auditor General, 2007), 13.


text:
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leucadia National Corporation (NYSE: LUK) and Jefferies Group, Inc. (NYSE: JEF) today announced that the Boards of Directors of both companies have approved a definitive merger agreement under which Jefferies' shareholders (other than Leucadia, which currently owns approximately 28.6% of the Jefferies outstanding shares) will receive 0.81 of a share of Leucadia common stock for each share of Jefferies common stock they hold. This exchange is intended to be tax-free to Jefferies' shareholders. The merger, which is expected to close during the first quarter of 2013, is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval to effect the merger by both Leucadia and Jefferies shareholders. In order to avert the possibility that the transaction would result in the application of tax law limitations to the use of certain of Leucadia's tax attributes, the merger agreement limits the amount of Leucadia shares that can be issued to certain persons that would otherwise become holders of 5% of the combined Leucadia's common shares by reason of the merger.
Concurrently with the execution of the merger agreement, Leucadia, Richard Handler, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Jefferies, and Brian Friedman, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Jefferies and one of its Directors, have each agreed pursuant to separate voting agreements, among other things, to vote their respective shares in favor of the transaction; and Ian Cumming, Leucadia's Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, and Joseph Steinberg, Leucadia's President and one of its Directors, have each agreed pursuant to separate voting agreements, among other things, to vote their respective shares in favor of the transaction. These voting agreements represent approximately 18.3% and 31.5% of the outstanding shares of Leucadia and Jefferies, respectively.
Upon the closing of the merger, Mr. Handler will become the Chief Executive Officer of Leucadia, as well as one of its Directors, and also remain Jefferies' Chief Executive Officer and Chairman; Mr. Friedman will become Leucadia's President and one of its Directors, and also remain Chairman of the Executive Committee of Jefferies; and Mr. Steinberg will become Chairman of the Board of Leucadia and will continue to work full time as an executive of Leucadia. Mr. Cumming will retire as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Leucadia upon the closing of the transaction and remain a Leucadia Director. The other Leucadia officers will continue in their present positions. In addition, upon the closing of the transaction, the four independent members of the Board of Directors of Jefferies also will join the Leucadia Board of Directors; the size of the Leucadia Board of Directors will be increased to fourteen.
Leucadia will continue to operate in its current form, except that the merger agreement contemplates that Leucadia's Crimson Wine Group, with a book value of $197 million, will be spun out in a distribution that is intended to be tax-free to current Leucadia shareholders prior to the completion of the merger.
Jefferies, which will be the largest business of Leucadia, will continue to operate as a full-service global investment banking firm in its current form. Jefferies will retain a credit rating that is separate from Leucadia's. Jefferies' existing long-term debt will remain outstanding and Jefferies intends to remain an SEC reporting company, regularly filing annual, quarterly, and periodic financial reports.
Following the transaction, 35.3% of Leucadia's common stock will be owned by Jefferies' shareholders (excluding the Jefferies shares owned today by Leucadia and including Jefferies vested restricted stock units). Leucadia's Board of Directors has approved a new share repurchase program authorizing the repurchase from time to time of up to an aggregate of 25 million Leucadia common shares, inclusive of prior authorizations. Leucadia's Board also has indicated its intention to continue to pay dividends at the annual rate of $0.25 per common share, but on a quarterly basis following the merger.
Mr. Cumming observed: "Joe and I have been partners for 34 years. He will be Chairman of the Board of the combined enterprise. His role as Chairman of the Board, along with other Leucadia and Jefferies Directors, will ensure continuity and propel our continued success. Rich and Brian managing the company will bring to fruition the abundant and profitable opportunities that will be realized by this merger. My relationship with Rich and Brian, both as advisors and, more recently, as business partners and Jefferies Directors, showed me they can manage Leucadia profitably long into the future. Their ability to manage and grow Jefferies through the elongated financial bubble, successfully navigate the crises that followed where others could not, and protect the firm from the attacks based on false information exactly one year ago with deftness and grace, should comfort all!"
Mr. Steinberg stated: "I am absolutely thrilled that Rich and Brian will be joining me as we move forward with our combined company. Ian and I have enjoyed working together for 34 years. He invited me into Leucadia and to be his partner. I am forever grateful for that opportunity. Our partnership produced great returns for shareholders and we have had a lot of fun. I expect that Rich and Brian will continue on the same track and intend to help in every way."
Mr. Handler stated: "Having known Joe and Ian for over two decades, this transaction represents the realization of a personal dream for me. Brian and I look forward to leading Leucadia, while continuing to serve as the hands-on management of Jefferies, which will become Leucadia's largest operating company. This merger will allow us to continue to create long-term value for all of our clients, shareholders, employee-partners and bondholders. I am honored with the trust and confidence Ian and Joe are demonstrating by allowing us to carry on their life's work."
Mr. Friedman said: "This merger will allow us to operate from a position of even greater strength, take advantage of opportunities that arise in and around the business of Jefferies, and continue Leucadia's longstanding practice of smart value acquisitions and investments. Our substantial combined equity base, ample liquidity and long-term focus will all support meaningful long-term value creation for Leucadia and Jefferies' shareholders. We also view with great enthusiasm the opportunity to work with Leucadia management, who have been instrumental in helping Ian and Joe achieve Leucadia's exceptional track record, as well as the management teams of each of the companies in which Leucadia is invested."
Jefferies & Company, Inc. acted as financial advisors to Jefferies. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. acted as financial advisors and provided a fairness opinion to the Transaction Committee of the Jefferies Board of Directors ("Transaction Committee"), and J.P. Morgan acted as financial advisors to Jefferies. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius acted as legal advisors to Jefferies, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz acted as legal advisors to the Transaction Committee. Rothschild acted as financial advisors to Leucadia, and UBS Investment Bank acted as financial advisors and provided a fairness opinion to the Leucadia Board of Directors. Weil Gotshal & Manges acted as legal advisors to Leucadia, and Proskauer Rose LLP acted as legal advisors to the Leucadia Board of Directors.
Conference Call
A conference call is scheduled for November 12, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. to discuss the transaction. Investors and securities industry professionals may access the management discussion by calling (877) 710-9938 or (702) 928-7183. A one-week replay of the call will also be available at (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406 (conference ID #70517742). Presentation slides will be used during this call and can be accessed at the Leucadia website (www.leucadia.com) and Jefferies website (www.jefferies.com).
About Jefferies
Jefferies Group, Inc. (NYSE: JEF) is a global investment banking firm focused on serving clients for over 50 years. The firm is a leader in providing insight, expertise and execution to investors, companies and governments, and provides a full range of investment banking, sales, trading, research and strategy across the spectrum of equities, fixed income and commodities, in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
About Leucadia
Leucadia National Corporation (NYSE: LUK) is a diversified holding company engaged through its consolidated subsidiaries in a variety of businesses, including beef processing, manufacturing, gaming entertainment, real estate activities, medical product development and winery operations. Leucadia also has a significant equity interest in Jefferies Group, Inc., and owns equity interests in operating businesses including a commercial mortgage origination and servicing business.
Important Information for Investors and Shareholders
Leucadia National Corporation (Leucadia) plans to file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 in connection with the proposed transaction, and Leucadia and Jefferies Group, Inc. (Jefferies) plan to file with the SEC and mail to their respective shareholders a Joint Proxy/Prospectus in connection with the proposed transaction. THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE JOINT PROXY/PROSPECTUS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEUCADIA, JEFFERIES, THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE JOINT PROXY/PROSPECTUS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and the Joint Proxy/Prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by Leucadia and Jefferies through the web site maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and the Joint Proxy/Prospectus by phone, e-mail or written request by contacting the investor relations department of Jefferies or Leucadia at the following:
520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022
Investor Relations
Park Avenue South Address, New York, NY 10010
Attn: Investor
Participants in the Solicitation
Leucadia and Jefferies, and their respective directors and executive officers, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Information regarding Leucadia's directors and executive officers is contained in Leucadia's proxy statement dated April 13, 2012, which has been filed with the SEC. Information regarding Jefferies' directors and executive officers is contained in Jefferies' proxy statement dated March 28, 2012, which is filed with the SEC. A more complete description will be available in the Registration Statement and the Joint Proxy/Prospectus.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward looking statements include statements about Jefferies' and Leucadia's future and statements that are not historical facts. These forward looking statements are usually preceded by the words "expect," "intend," "may," "will," or similar expressions. All information and estimates relating to the merger of Leucadia and Jefferies and the combination of those businesses constitute forward looking statements. Forward looking statements may contain expectations regarding post-merger activities and financial strength, operations, synergies, and other results, and may include statements of future performance, plans, and objectives. Forward looking statements also include statements pertaining to Leucadia and Jefferies strategies for future development of our businesses, the payment by Leucadia of quarterly dividends, the spin off of Leucadia's Crimson Wine Group, and Leucadia's ability to utilize certain of its tax attributes. Forward looking statements represent only Leucadia's and Jefferies' beliefs regarding future events, many of which by their nature are inherently uncertain or subject to change. It is possible that the actual results may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results indicated in these forward-looking statements. Information regarding important factors that could cause actual results to differ, perhaps materially, from those in Leucadia's and Jefferies' forward looking statements is contained in reports that are filed and will be filed with the SEC. You should read and interpret any forward looking statement together with such reports.
For further information, please contact:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I Am in Love With My Boyfriend, But I Still Want to Get More Sexual Experience Before I Am Married
This is a question that is a response to 'My Girlfriend Wants to Get More Sexual "Experience" Before Getting Engaged. What Should I Do?' My question is coming from the standpoint as the girlfriend. I am 24 and my boyfriend is 28. We have been together for 8 months and he has told me over and over how much he loves me and knows I am the one for him. I feel very much the same about him. We get along great and love each other very much. Recently, he decided to tell me how many people he had sex with before me. I did not ask the question, as I think it's best not to know. It's none of my business and I didn't want to risk getting hurt. This is because I had only been with one person before him (he knew this) and I knew he had been with at least 2 times more people than I. Well, he has been with 15 women. I do not think 15 is an outrageous number by any means. However, this number made me very jealous. Not that he has been with other women before me, because there is a reason they are in his past. But that I realized I have not been able to get out there and live and experience different sexual partners. I have already told him how I feel about this. We have a very honest relationship and I cannot let a problem fester inside me because then it will just blow up at a bad time.
What if it was you who had slept with 15 guys and your boyfriend didn't have any sexual experience?
We talked about different solutions. One was taking a break. This would work in the sense that I would not be cheating, but I don't want to break up! Also, I would die at the thought of him sleeping with other women, so I don't want to do that to him. I also fear he wouldn't take me back, and I wouldn't blame him. Oh man! Second was being in an open relationship. Well that just does not work for me, I don't roll that way. Third, was getting in a time machine and going back to when I was 20 and single and getting my fill of experience before meeting him. I need a DeLorean ASAP! So, obviously the third one will not work. I feel that since we are only 8 months into the relationship it's best to decide what to do now, than wait however many years (if we even stay together that long) and risk even bigger heartbreak. Let me tell you though, this thought of needing more experience would never lead to me cheating on him. I do not cheat. I am very confused by my thoughts. I really want to be with him yet I want the experience. I cannot explain why I have these feelings. Any advice would be great! Thanks! P.S. Sorry this is so long!
You know what you sound like, Brenda? A guy. Which isn't a bad thing.
Jealousy is normal. Envy is normal. Insecurity is normal. Confusion is normal.
Your dilemma is what to do with all of these conflicting emotions.
You outlined all of your options clearly — take a break, have an open relationship, or break up (I'm not counting the time machine thing, although I agree it's your best bet.)
And yet none of these options are appealing to you, because they mean driving a stake through an otherwise perfect relationship.
So let's flip things over for a sec. What if it was you who had slept with 15 guys and your boyfriend didn't have any sexual experience? What would you advise him?
Suddenly, the decision's a lot easier, isn't it?
"You don't break up with me to fool around with some other women, you idiot!"
The more I read and the more I coach, the more convinced I am that the main thing keeping us unhappy is our expectations about how things "should" be.
If I spent my time worrying that I don't have my own Dr. Phil-sized TV show, I'd be really unhappy.
…both of us wish we could have a piece of what the other guy's got…without giving up what we've already got.
If I spent my time envying the Hugh Hefners of the world, I'd be really unhappy.
If I spent my time wishing that I were leading someone else's life, I'd be really unhappy.
And yes, sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to be married to a 29-year-old woman instead of a 40-year-old woman. And what it would be like to get syndication fees for reaching millions of women instead of thousands of them. The grass is always going to be greener. But that doesn't mean that your grass isn't pretty darn green.
I'm reminded of a friend who met a woman when he was in his early 30's. Three years into the relationship, he wasn't positive he was ready for marriage, but he had no real compelling reason to break up with the woman he loved, who was in her mid-30's. They got married and, now, at age 38, he has two healthy gorgeous kids.
Do you know how envious I am? I might not be able to even have 1 biological child.
By the same token, my buddy would always beg me to tell him my crazy online dating stories. In fact, this reminds me of an old Lavalife ad campaign that said: "Lavalife: Make Your Married Friends Jealous." So true. No matter what decision you make, there are always tradeoffs.
I got to mess around with a lot of women before finding my incredible wife. My friend found his incredible wife at a younger age and missed out on sowing his oats. Who's to say which is better — except that both of us wish we could have a piece of what the other guy's got…without giving up what we've already got.
Alas, Brenda, that's not how life works. You've already acknowledged that to get your sexual experience, you would have to damage the relationship severely. You can't just manage to sleep with 10 guys and run back to your devoted boyfriend and say, "I'm done now! Let's get married!"
So I want to encourage you to look at what you DO have, instead of what you DON'T have. If you've been reading this blog, you are aware that there are many women in their 30's, 40's and 50's who seem to have trouble believing that there are any good men out there who will tell you they love you and declare that you're the one.
If you're 24 and you think you've found Mr. Right, I'd say to hold on to him. If, in fact, he doesn't prove to be Mr. Right, you can always get some more sexual experience.
And if he does turn out to be "The One", congratulations, you found the most important thing that life has to offer. Well done.


text:
Dark Tourism - the guide to dark travel destinations around the world
dark tourism
dark tourism
Andaman & Nicobar
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Cyprus (North)
Czech Republic
Dominican Republic
Easter Island
East Timor
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Tristan da Cunha
Military History Museum
: 5 -
A military museum in
which has a number of unique exhibits that are of special interest to the dark tourist too, especially those revolving around the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in
in 1914, but also sections about the
period. In 2014 an all new
World War One
section was opened which has boosted the museum's calibre by quite some measure! The WWII section is currently also undergoing a substantial overhaul.
More background info
What there is to see
Access and costs
Time required
Combinations with other dark destinations
Combinations with non-dark destinations
More background info:
The military history museum, or, in German, "Heeresgeschichtliches Museum (HGM)", in
is the oldest of the large museums in
's capital, i.e. it even predates the better-known art and natural history museums on the Ring closer to
's touristic centre. That's an indication of the priorities at the time, of course. Back in those glory days of the Habsburg empire, all things military still had a more glamorous aura (
World War One
changed that for good) – moreover, it was also a statement of power, of course.
The museum was planned as an integral part of the new army barracks of the "Arsenal", built from 1850 – in an architectural style that is both massive and intimidating as well as full of intriguing delicate ornamentation, with heavy stylistic borrowings from faraway "exotic" architectural styles such as Byzantine, Moorish, and Italianate.
The initial collections were not completed until closer to the end of the 19th century, and several extensions followed. Today the scope of the museum covers everything from the Thirty Years' War to the end of
… and even beyond, if you count the outdoor exhibits of post-WWII tanks and planes.
One of the planes that can be seen (outside, for free) is one of Austria's long-serving fighter planes, a Swedish built Saab "Draken". These planes attracted a lot of ridicule (dated, second-hand, flying pieces of scrap …), but from a purely aesthetic point of view, they were actually more pleasing to the eye than many other military aircraft then or now. (Meanwhile they have been replaced by a set of Eurofighters – which caused even more scorn in Austria for the immense investment the replacement meant, which many saw as totally inappropriate for a neutral country and in the context of European integration.)
On 28 June 2014, to coincide with 100th anniversary of the event (the
Franz Ferdinand assassination
) that led to the outbreak of the
First World War
, the museum opened a completely redesigned and much enlarged special section on the Great War, which is now easily its best part overall.
What there is to see:
Beginning to the right of the main entrance, the first hall in this wing has older exhibits that won't be of particular interest to most dark tourists (only to dedicated military history buffs, really). But some of the flamboyant uniforms and funny hats on display are worth a cursory glance and maybe a little snigger at how ludicrously the military used to dress up before the 20th century.
It's the next room that reveals this museum's most outstanding treasure. Here you can see original car in which the then Austrian heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in
on 28 June 1914 – the event that triggered the outbreak of
World War One
! You can clearly see a bullet hole in the outer body of the car.
(But just don't point at it – as I did when I was there with a friend and my pointing triggered an alarm … they must have overly sensitive motion sensors here. I wasn't anywhere close to touching the thing! It was kind of indicative that the museum attendant on duty simply shrugged his shoulders and laughed before the alarm turned itself off again – he probably gets this all the time. And indeed I later repeatedly heard the same alarm going off in the distance as I wandered on.)
Franz Ferdinand's car has now been given a new presentation compared to the starker style up to a couple of years back. Behind the vehicle is now a background of a blown-up photo of a city street scene (presumably in Sarajevo – even though it says
on a shop front), while a separate large photo to the left shows the imperial couple themselves. Furthermore the car has been placed on imitation cobblestones.
Opposite the car is a display cabinet with the other prime exhibit in this context: Franz Ferdinand's original uniform which he wore on that fateful day – complete with the original blood stains (by now faded to a kind of light brownish colour). This is truly a remarkable and (in true Viennese fashion) morbid exhibit. The presentation used to be even more morbid, with an arrow pointing out the hole just under the collar through which the bullet passed. But this arrow sign is no longer there. Also gone is the Archduke's hat. The uniform hovers on a glass plate above the original settee on which the Archduke passed away after the shooting …
The car-and-uniform display is now complemented by yet more items associated with the assassination. In a display box right next to Franz Ferdinand's uniform are a number of items that belonged to his wife Sophie who was also killed in the assassination (namely by the bullet that left the hole in the car). This includes a piece of lace with what looks like old blood stains too, a dried rose and part of a leather glove.
Yet another glass display box has guns and a square hand grenade of the type used by the assassins as well as a shattered part of a windscreen from another car in the Archduke's convoy that got damaged in the preceding first assassination attempt that day. Also new in this sections are some info panels which are now also in contemporary bilingual form with good English translations! These also include a map of Sarajevo and the various stages of the events pointed out. For all those details see also the entry for the
Franz Ferdinand assassination site
The Sarajevo assassination room serves as a kind of prelude to the next larger section – that on
World War One
. As in so many places around the world (see esp.
Imperial War Museum
), the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War was taken as an ideal opportunity to grant this museum section a major overhaul and expansion. I find it a great success:
Whereas previously this section had little more than just big pieces of hardware (guns and parts of fortifications) with hardly any
, the new exhibition is an altogether more elaborate affair that now also comes with plenty of intriguing smaller original artefacts, bilingual explanatory texts throughout and even a few multimedia elements. Content-wise it's organized in a very good mix of chronology (from mobilization and the various stages of the war to the post-war consequences) and thematic clustering. Since the new exhibition is so much richer than the old one, it also requires a lot more space. Thus parts of the exhibition are a bit crammed in places (and when there are a lot of visitors, bottlenecks can cause congestion). It's now partly been arranged on two levels, which takes away some of the cavernous space the old exhibition sat in. But those larger exhibits that still require considerable space are still given it in a sufficient manner. Overall the compromise achieved is commendable.
Highlights of the exhibition include the following: collections of some stunning war propaganda, a field hospital section, a recreation of a trench that you can (comfortably) walk through, as well as displays of various uniforms, gas masks, early encryption and decoding machines, a section on animals at war, and also displays of all manner of small items, from medals to personal belongings.
And then there are the big things. The first such item is the top of a fortified position, some 10 inches thick of solid steel dome .. with a big hole in it, where a shell nearly penetrated this massive protection. You can stand under it for good effect too. Next to this some shells are displayed as well as steel plates that actually have shot-through holes in them. It's a powerful display of what force the products of the new armaments industry of the time was able to deliver.
In the main hall, some of the big guns are still on display as well. The very biggest of them all has now even been put on display to significantly more impressive effect than before. This is one of only ten 38 cm (15 inch) siege howitzers built by Austria-Hungary in 1916 (in what is now the
town of Pilzen, at the Skoda works). This monster weighs over 80 tonnes. A single shell was 740 kg (1630 Lbs). The gun's range was a whopping 15 km (10 miles). Yet, despite its enormous bulk this gun installation was mobile and could be assembled within a few hours. From the upstairs level you can stare down the massive barrel of this giant and see the tip of one of its massive shells ready to be loaded into it. That view is also pretty unique in my experience.
The size of this brute is impressive enough on its own. But there are also intriguing stories attached to it. When I was last there I overheard a guide telling his German-speaking group of visitors that this gun is the sole survivor of its type – but that it nearly did not make it. That's because at the time when the
took over
in 1938 (see
) and all through
, they also went through the military museums of the country and tried to seize what they still deemed usable in the war. This massive super gun stirred particular desires, as its mobility, range and destructive potential would still have suited the
Third Reich
's expansionist ambitions very well. The story, however, went that the museum staff managed to save the gun from being taken away by making up an alleged flaw in the barrel, which would only mean that the gunners operating it would be at risk of being blown apart while the gun itself would be useless. In actual fact it could even be returned to proper working order to this day.
Other big items in the exhibition include an early war plane hanging from the ceiling. Next to it a display shows the way in which aerial bombing was still done "manually" in those days, i.e. the pilot or co-pilot simply dropped the small bombs by hand from the side of the open cockpit. Also in this section are listening devices and an aircraft engine with the name "Austro-Daimler" on it (a former daughter company of the German Daimler works – now Mercedes Benz – later merged with the Skoda works, which also produced the big gun mentioned earlier).
Back towards the narrower parts of the exhibitions the more sobering subjects of the plight of
s as well as war invalids are picked up. This is contrasted with some more war propaganda and rather cynical-looking war games for kids (e.g. "Wir spielen Weltkrieg" – 'Let's play World War'). Lastly the immediate post-war memorialization is a fitting topical finale to this new exhibition.
Overall, this new WWI section alone makes a visit to this museum worth any (dark) tourist's while, but there is of course even more. Probably of least interest from a dark-tourism perspective are the older sections on the Thirty Years' War, the Turkish Sieges of Vienna, various halls dedicated to particular figures of the monarchy and such like. Mostly it's big oil paintings and uniforms that are to be seen here. I never even bothered with any of this.
However, the section to the left of the main entrance and the ticket office, just beyond the museum shop and cafe, is another true highlight of this institution. Here the years between the wars,
's own version of fascism and the take-over by
are the main topics, as are certain aspects of
and its immediate aftermath.
UPDATE May 2023: The
WWII section is currently closed
for a substantial overhaul. There is no official date for the reopening, but it's estimated that the work may take about two years, so until 2025. So what is written below will now be outdated. Of course I will visit again as soon as it is possible and will then amend the text below accordingly. I can see the reasoning, as some critics have complained that this section was bit too "harmless"; but I hope they don't sanitize it too much of some of the extraordinarily dubious elements involving Nazi symbolism. I hope the revamp follows a path of better contextualization rather than total iconoclasm.
The somewhat morbid elements of the Sarajevo assassination section that led into the WWI section is echoed here by a similarly macabre section on Engelbert Dollfuss and his assassination. Dollfuss was chancellor in the First Republic of Austria from 1932 to 1934 during a period of great chaos and upheavals that at times bordered on or constituted civil war (esp. in February 1934). Dollfuss was a key representative of what's called Austrofascism, which was a development of and influenced by plain old national and authoritarian conservatism as well as Italian fascism (see
). Although you could say that Dollfuss was thus himself pretty much to the right of the political spectrum. Yet he was assassinated by full-blown Nazis on 25 July 1934. (The event brought significant friction between
and Mussolini, but the
denied responsibility. The Austrian assassins were later captured, tried and executed.)
The museum displays a number of objects linked to the Dollfuss assassination: first and foremost there's the original couch on which he breathed his last (complete with what, again, looks like blood stains) accompanied by a photo of the dying man as he was lying on this very piece of furniture (albeit with different upholstering then and now). Also on display is a Dollfuss bust, his death mask and a piece of the shirt he was wearing that day.
Next to some further Austrofascism-related items comes the section on Hitler and the
. This section includes some unusually frank displays of Nazi propaganda and symbols that are quite impressive (if disturbing). A perspex-protected gilded bust of
Adolf Hitler
himself is rather chilling to behold, but it's in particular the "cheerful" paper lanterns and swastika-adorned cushions that are perhaps even eerier than the more explicitly dark elements that follow.
The latter includes a small section on the persecution of the Austrian Jews,
concentration camps
, forced labour and the
, including the inevitable display of one of those striped camp uniforms and a yellow star.
as such is primarily represented through various pieces of weaponry and other military gear, including a Fieseler Storch reconnaissance plane in Luftwaffe insignia hanging from the ceiling, a large anti-aircraft gun (cf.
), some rusty armoured vehicles, and a bizarre one-person spherical "bunker". Also to be seen here are various propaganda posters of the time.
At the end of this section, an American Jeep is on display with the flags of all four occupying powers in post-war Austria on it (
and the
). Such vehicles were used for the joint Military Police "four-men-in-a-jeep" patrols that the victors of WWII had to share for a number of years in occupied
, which was, like
, subdivided into four sectors, but unlike Berlin had at its heart one shared district, the Inner City or 1st District. You can see such patrols depicted in the seminal movie classic "The Third Man" (cf.
Third Man Tours
!). The fact that the Western Allies had to share these patrols with the Soviets at a time of unfolding
Cold War
confrontation, was a unique oddity of the period (Austria was only released into independence again with the Austrian State Treaty of 1955). Somewhat fitting, then, that the
Soviet Union
is also represented here in this museum exhibition through some almost comically crude Soviet hammer-and-sickle flags.
Beyond the fascism and WWII sections is one more two-hall part of the Military Museum that may come as a bit of a surprise to some (foreign) visitors, as it is about "Austria as a Naval Power". Hang on, isn't Austria a
country? It is indeed today, but in its older glory days up to World War One it did at times have access to the seven seas, in particular through its territory bordering the Adriatic part of the Mediterranean Sea (especially
, in what is today
). As such the Austro-Hungarian empire also had a navy. This even included submarines. And the highlight in this section has to be the superbly rusty and pockmarked part of a submarine salvaged from the sea and put on display here. The rest of this section is somewhat less spectacular unless you are into ship models of all sizes and other such maritime memorabilia.
The museum has an open-air part in the back yard (called "Panzergarten"; and now also with an indoor part called "Panzerhalle") where a number of tanks and other armoured vehicles are on display that were used by the Austrian army from 1956.
In the colonnaded side wings adjacent to the museum is a large collection of older gun barrels, some really ancient, but of very limited interest for a dark tourist. And outside the front of the museum, finally, there are a couple of further outdoor exhibits, including one of the Austrian Air Force's legendary,
-built Saab Draken fighter jets.
The museum shop, which shares a room with the museum café, has the usual array of plastic model kits, military history books and films, postcards, and other souvenirs. The items of most interest to the dark tourist are probably the books, in particular the ones added to the range about
World War One
, including material about the current new exhibition at this museum.
On balance, it is this new WWI section which more than anything else makes this museum a very worthwhile addition to any dark-tourism itinerary in
, although parts of the Nazi and WWII sections are also good (but this is currently closed for refurbishment!). Naturally, military history buffs will get the most out of such a place, but not only people with such pronounced special interest. There's also plenty of interest beyond the purely military.
within the huge Arsenal complex (part of "Objekt 1") south of the Inner City centre of
, in the southernmost corner of the 3rd district, near the new Hauptbahnhof (main train station) and the area around it that is currently still undergoing a regeneration scheme (so expect plenty of building sites!).
Google maps locator: [
Access and costs:
a bit out of the city centre, but fairly easily reachable; not too expensive.
: From the Inner City district of
, take the D tram from the Ring or from Schwarzenbergplatz to the terminus at Hauptbahnhof Ost, or take tram 18 or O to either Quartier Belvedere (formerly Südbahnhof), Fasangasse or Heinrich Drimmel Platz. From there it's a couple of hundred yards' walk … you'll already see the massive buildings of the Arsenal looming in the distance. The nearest metro (U-Bahn U1) station is Hauptbahnhof, but it's more of a walk from there and as long as all the construction work around the new central station is still ongoing, it may be tricky to find your way past (or through) the building sites.
The signposting to the museum isn't necessarily the clearest, and the exact location of the museum
the Arsenal complex isn't too self-evident either. So follow whatever signs you find for "HGM" or go straight to the central building ("Objekt 1") of the Arsenal. It's the most impressive block in the centre of the front facade. Walk through its main gate. The museum is straight ahead across the courtyard.
Opening times:
daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (closed on the usual main holidays).The tank collection is only open at weekends, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m – also note that the WWII section is currently closed for a revamp.
7 EUR (concessions for students, senior citizens and disabled persons), free every first Sunday of each month.
An additional fee for a photography permit is levied at 2 EUR. Audio guides can be hired for 2 EUR. Live guided tours cost 4 EUR.
Guided tours are also offered.
Time required:
very much depends on how deep and into how many of the different chapters of Austrian military history you want to delve. For most dark tourists the main focus is probably to see the room about the Sarajevo assassination and the new
World War One
exhibition. Together these should take between one and two hours. The wing with the sections about
under the
may warrant another 40 to 60 minutes or so.
Combinations with other dark destinations:
One of
's particularly charming, if somewhat lower-key dark sites is close by: the enchantingly overgrown little
St Marx cemetery
to the east (about a mile's walk away).
Linked to the post-WWII phase of Austrian history is the grand Soviet war memorial at the southern end of Schwarzenbergplatz, which can be reached on foot from the Military Museum by walking through Schweizergarten Park and then all the way through the historic Belvedere Park, where you should turn left and continue to the northern end of Rennweg where the monument and the landmark fountain in front of it will appear on your left. This big and decidedly
relic right in the heart of Vienna is certainly worth a look!
Otherwise see under
in general.
Far away, outside Austria, is the counterpart, as it were, to the Franz Ferdinand exhibits: the actual site of the assassination itself, which is by the
Latin Bridge
in today's
Combinations with non-dark destinations:
The museum itself extends far beyond the dark … unless you count everything military as dark. So those interested in imperial
's old glories, reflected in uniforms, medals and the like, can find plenty more here.
Furthermore, the building complex the museum is housed in, called the "Arsenal", is quite remarkable from an architectural point of view. It's a mainly neo-Byzantine style of the grandest proportions. And even though only a part of the whole complex is publicly accessible it feels huge. It's well worth a good look from the outside too.
The area immediately around the Arsenal/the museum is otherwise one of the less attractive parts of
– except for the Belvedere Park a few hundred yards to the north with its two art museums. It's also a historical place – especially for modern
. It was here that the Austrian State Treaty of 1955 was signed.
HGM 01 - former arsenal building
HGM 02 - old part
HGM 03 - Turkish relic
HGM 04 - pre-WW1 funny hats and tash fashion
HGM 05 - foyer and poster advertising new WW1 section
HGM 06 - new presentation of the car of Franz Ferdinand
HGM 07 - Franz Ferdinand car in the old exhibition
HGM 08 - spot the bullet hole
HGM 09 - bloodied uniform of Franz Ferdinand
HGM 10 - follow the arrow
HGM 11 - spot the hole and the blood stains
HGM 12 - Sophie relics too
HGM 13 - gun, hand grenade and shot-through windscreen
HGM 14 - new WW1 section
HGM 15 - now on two levels
HGM 16 -big gun
HGM 17 - staring down a real big barrel of a gun
HGM 18 - fortress warfare
HGM 19 - grim
HGM 20 - trench warfare
HGM 21 - gas
HGM 22 - shells and shadows
HGM 23 - new air war
HGM 24 - bombs were still dropped by hand
HGM 25 - listening device
HGM 26 - stretcher
HGM 27 - field hospital
HGM 28 - POWs
HGM 29 - early decoding device
HGM 30 - WW1 kitsch
HGM 31 - war games
HGM 32 - war propaganda
HGM 33 - the post-war hangover
HGM 34 - post-war memorialization
HGM 35 - post-WW1 debris
HGM 36 - Austro-Fascism section
HGM 37 - Dollfuß bust and death bed
HGM 38 - Adolf is coming home
HGM 39 - perspex-protected Adolf bust
HGM 40 - the cushy side of Nazism
HGM 41 - the dark side
HGM 42 - faceless watching and imbibing
HGM 43 - WWII section
HGM 44 - crude Soviet flag
HGM 45 - occupation-era jeep
HGM 46 - salvaged Austrian submarine relic
HGM 47 - tank garden outside
HGM 48 - shop and cafe
HGM 49 - Saab Draken outside
HGM 50 - outer gate building
HGM 51 - wars belong in a museum
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Devastating drought has returned to the heart of Dust Bowl country. On the High Plains of northeastern New Mexico, southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, the Oklahoma Panhandle, and northern Texas, drought has been creeping up since fall 2007. By mid-June 2008, the Oklahoma Panhandle and surrounding areas slid into "exceptional drought," the most severe category of drought classified by the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center. |
Cimarron County, Oklahoma, the westernmost county in the state, is "at the epicenter of the drought," according to staff climatologist Gary McManus with the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS). The land is occupied by wheat farms, corn fields, and pasture. It's an area of periodic drought; the Dust Bowl years have not yet faded from living memory. |
"The area has been in and out of drought since the start of the decade. Mostly in," McManus said. "But fall of last year was when it really started to get bad. In some places, this year has been as dry or even drier than the Dust Bowl." As of early August, the Oklahoma panhandle was experiencing its driest year (previous 365 days) since 1921, according to OCS calculations. Through July, year-to-date precipitation in Boise City, Cimarron's County Seat, was only about 4.8 inches, barely half of average and drier than some years in the 1930s, the height of the Dust Bowl. |
The toll of the drought on crops and pasture is evident in satellite-based vegetation images spanning the past year. On NASA's Terra satellite, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) collects observations of visible and infrared light that scientists use to create a scale, or index, of vegetation conditions. In images from late July 2007, conditions appeared near or only a little below normal compared to the 2000-2006 average. In mid-autumn, however, during the beginning of the growing season for the winter wheat crop, conditions had already started to deteriorate. By late April/early May, the impact of the drought on the area's crops and rangeland was dramatic. In late June and early July, conditions in the agricultural lands appeared to improve somewhat. The apparent improvement could be misleading however. Paul Toon, the Cimarron County Executive Director for the Oklahoma Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency, says the Panhandle did receive patchy rains in June and July. But late June or July is also when the season's winter wheat crop is typically harvested. In crop areas, at least, it may be normal for vegetation to be sparse at that time of the year. So the drought might not seem as dramatic in those areas. |
Viewed from the ground, the situation is equally discouraging. According to Cherrie Brown, district conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Boise City, subsoil moisture is virtually non-existent. "Any rain that falls is sapped by evaporation in two or three days. Four feet down, there is literally no moisture left in the soil. Recently we were digging as part of a project to decommission a county well, and we dug down to a depth of 7 feet, and there was still no moisture. Even irrigation can't offset these deficits," she said. As a result, crops have failed and pasture is severely degraded. |
In places, the land is taking on the look of the Dust Bowl years. In the second decade of the 20th century, settlers to the High Plains plowed up millions of acres of native prairie and began planting winter wheat. The High Plains wheat boom was fueled in part by a global shortages created by the First World War. Near the end of the decade, with wheat prices falling, came one of the area's regularly occurring droughts. With the prairies gone and wheat fields increasingly fallow, thousands of years of topsoil blew away in black dust storms, earning the decade the name "The Dirty Thirties." |
Since the Dirty Thirties, says Brown, many farmers in the area have committed to soil conservation efforts like "no till" agriculture, in which crop residue is left on fields to anchor soil in place. And while these efforts have gone a long way toward preventing another Dust Bowl, she says, there are places where the ground is starting to blow, just like it did back then. In fields where crops failed, winds have scoured the earth, scraping the soil down to hardpan. Other fields and pasture are being buried by the shifting, sandy soil. |
Kiley Whited, the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Rangeland Management Specialist for Cimarron County, says the situation on the area's rangelands may be even worse. On the prairies that once sustained America bison by the millions, even the buffalo grass, whose fibrous root system helps hold the top soil in place, is dying or has gone dormant unusually early. "Buffalo grass is the most resilient of the native grasses to drought and grazing," says Whited. "To see it wilting and dying is scary." Because the vegetation has the additional pressure of grazing, it can take longer to recover from drought. |
To take some of the pressure off stressed rangeland, Cimarron and many other High Plains counties petitioned the Department of Agriculture to release some of the county's holdings in the Conservation Reserve Program. The program pays "rent" to farmers to keep easily damaged agricultural land fallow. Farmers sign 10-15-year contracts, and they must pay fees and return rent payments to have their land released early. In Cimarron County, says Toon, 30 percent of the agricultural land is part of the Conservation Reserve Program. In emergencies, the USDA can waive fees and let farmers out of their contracts. Farmers can also receive permission for emergency haying and grazing on program lands, but their rent payments are reduced. On August 1, the USDA announced plans to allow emergency grazing and haying on conservation reserve lands in the drought-stricken counties of the High Plains, and said that rental payments to farmers would only be reduced by 10 percent instead of the standard 25 percent cut. In addition, the federal government declared nine counties in western Oklahoma "primary natural disaster areas." Sixty-six bordering counties in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and New Mexico are eligible for disaster relief under the declaration, which makes low-interest emergency loans available to farmers and ranchers. The declaration may also allow tax breaks for ranchers who have been forced to sell their herds. A farmer herself, Brown describes the Cimarron County residents as tenacious. They are accustomed to the High Plains' climate extremes, and they have worked hard to avoid making the same mistakes with the land that farmers did at the beginning of the past century. "People aren't complaining," says Brown, "they are just trying hard to stay on their land." But despite conservation efforts that have prevented another dust bowl-like disaster, she says, they are still at the mercy of the climate. "We can't just go to the store and buy rain."


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"An orthogonal wavelet representation of multivalued images", in Proc. ACIVS02, Andvanced Concepts for intelligent vision systems, Ghent, 2002.
, "Wavelet-based enhancement and denoising using multiscale structure tensor", in Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, Rochester NY, 2002, pp. 569-572.
, "Wavelet thresholding of multispectral images", in Proc. ACIVS03, Andvanced Concepts for intelligent vision systems , Ghent, 2003, pp. 255-259.
, "Denoising of multispectral images using wavelet thresholding", in Proc. SPIE conference on Image and Signal Processing for Remote Sensing IX, part of the International Symposium on Remote Sensing, Barcelona, Spain, 2003, pp. 28-35.
, "Wavelet representations of multivalued images", in Wavelet Applications in Industrial Processing, part of the International Symposium on Photonics Technologies for Robotics, Automation, and Manufacturing , 27-31 October 2003, Providence, RI USA, 2003, pp. 203-215.
, "Least squares interband denoising of color and multispectral images", in Proc. ICIP2004, IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, 24-27 october, Singapore, 2004, pp. 985-988.
, "Wavelet-based enhancement of remote sensing and biomedical image series using an auxiliary image", in SPIE Optics East, 23-26 October, Boston, Massachusetts USA, 2005, vol. 6001, pp. 41-52.
, "Wavelet Denoising of multicomponent images using a Gaussian Scale Mixture model", in ICPR'06, International Conference on Pattern Recognition, Hong Kong, august 20-24, 2006, vol. 3, pp. 754-757.
, "Wavelet Denoising of multicomponent images using a noise-free image", in ICIP'06, IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, Atlanta, Georgia, October 8-11, 2006, pp. 2619-2622.
, "Bayesian Wavelet-based Denoising of Multicomponent Images", in Proceedings Wavelet Applications in Industrial Processing V, part of SPIE Optics East, Boston, MA, 9-12 september, Vol. 6763-OK (12 pages), 2007.
, "Bayesian techniques for multi/hyperspectral image processing", in 4th IEEE Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications, Xi'an, China, May 25-27, 2009, pp. 1-10.
, "A wavelet representation of multispectral images; in: Frontiers of Remote Sensing Information Processing", World Scientific, 2003, pp. 197-224.
, "Wavelet-based Multi/Hyperspectral Image Restoration and Fusion", in Signal and Image Processing for Remote Sensing, Taylor and Francis, 2012, pp. 505-523.
, "Contributions of Machine Learning to Remote Sensing Data Analysis", in Comprehensive Remote Sensing, vol. 2, 2018, pp. 199-243.


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Mad Max
Avalanche Studios, the team behind the Just Cause series, is turning its open world skills to a game based on the iconic Mad Max movie franchise, and so far the results look impressive.
Mad Max has been rumored for some time, and at E3 Avalanche and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive made it official. The game is a new, original Mad Max adventure that Avalanche said was a "standalone" plot, so don't expect any hard ties to the existing Mad Max storylines. As you might expect, given star Mel Gibson's now more controversial public profile, the game's Mad Max is a new design, featuring an athletic, bearded Max. However, the iconic leather costume remains.
Avalanche has demonstrated an ability to create massive open worlds with Just Cause, and Mad Max, slated for next gen consoles, has an enormous map. Even the part we saw, which comprised roughly only one-fifth of the total world, appeared to be massive. Obviously, given the franchise, the environments are largely rough, barren desert; you can even see the wreckage of old ocean liners where the sea once was.
Mad Max's patchwork, rough metal vehicles are as iconic as the character, so the game places a heavier emphasis on vehicles (and vehicular combat) than most open world games. And, the world is truly open -- you'll be able to offroad literally anywhere on the map that a real vehicle could reach.
Throughout the game you'll collect scrap metal and other object that help add to your car. The customization screen we saw featured hundred of different options, from front ends designed for ramming to heavy armor to weapon turret add-ons to nitrous and other performance addition. Avalanche is emphasizing vehicle physics, so each part you add to your car will actually affect the turning, weight distribution, etc. Frankly, the tuning options looked to be as deep as some proper racing games on the market.
The E3 demo showed off car combat in the game, but don't expect Twisted Metal style projectiles and theatrics. This is brutal, primitive car-to-car combat, largely using your vehicle as the weapon itself, and ramming cars off the road will be one of your main attacks. As Max and his two compatriots pulled close to an enemy, one of the foes leaped from his car to on top of Max's, forcing Max to stop driving for a second to shoot him off in a quick Bullet Time-style sequence. The person riding in the back of the vehicle will also be able to use a harpoon weapon (connected by a rope) to pull off wheels and sections of armor from an enemy vehicle.
The demo also showed Max engaging in combat out of the car. After arriving at an encampment called Dead Barren Pass, Max must infiltrate it. The gate is blocked, so he exited the vehicle and fought his way up a ridge to take out a sniper. On the way, the he showed off the game's brutal combat, which was extremely violent and featured such gory fatalities as Max shooting an enemy in the belly with a sawed off shotgun and obliterating another with an explosive harpoon.
Although melee combat is a bigger focus than in most open world games, there are weapons, including a sniper rifle which Max used to explode gas canisters, opening the gate. After the gate had been breached, Max hopped back in his vehicle and drove through a hail of explosions and gunfire. We never got to saw what happened next, as the demo cut off which a brief highlight reel of combat and other footage from the game. However, what we saw was enough to pique our interest. The game is fairly early and will likely not come out until 2014.


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One news event of 2013 that polarised opinion was the death of Baroness Thatcher in April. I've no intention of stepping into that political minefield. However, for students of political history I'm offering this interview with Margaret Thatcher from November 1980, just 18 months into her premiership.
interview, conducted by Michael Charlton, is from the BBC Radio 4 series Analysis and was broadcast on 26
November 1980.


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Wedding ceremony organization — Frangipani package
Luganville, Vanuatu
Frangipani Package
Included in this package is:
A tropical mix bouquet - for the Bride an a matching buttonhole for the groom (flowers in season)
Wedding Planner - to organise the whole day for you
Marriage Certificate - Submission of pre-wedding documents & wedding registration of your marriage
Marriage Celebrant – A registered Vanuatu marriage celebrant will perform your wedding ceremony.
Witnesses if required – 2 witnesses are required for any wedding in Vanuatu. If you don't have you own witnesses with you, I can organise 2 people to attend your wedding to sign & verify your marriage in Vanuatu.
Extras to make your day unique
If you are wanting some 'special additions' to your wedding, we can offer these at additional cost:
Ni-Vanuatu String Band – dressed in traditional costume they will escort the bride to the wedding ceremony while singing & playing their unique music. Continuing after the service as you celebrate the beginning of your new life together .
A stunning floral arch way adorned in tropical flowers beneath which you will exchange your vows.
Bamboo Arbour draped with organza and decorated with fresh tropical flower bouquets.
Bamboo Tee Pees add a unique setting to your wedding venue
Chair & venue decoration - cost depending on your requirements ie: Chair covers/sashes, curtaining, Chinese lanterns etc..
Photographer - well known local photographer, in demand for his unique & glamorous style of photography
Wedding Cake if required
Hair & Makeup if desired
Extra bouquets, buttonholes, corsages etc.. for the rest of your bridal party &/or guests
PLEASE NOTE: Some venues (ie:private beaches & /or historical sites or residences) may incur extra charges for their use.
Please contact me for a full price list of these options according to your requirements


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Tragedy at Silver Creek
by Belinda G. Buchanan
Guilt is a powerful thing, and former deputy Jack Collins is mired in it. Unable to forget the events that have taken place in the town he was sworn to protect, he feels as if he is slowly drowning as he tries to cope with the aftermath of a serial killer's reign of terror, as well as his new—and unwanted—job as chief of police.
When the body of a young woman, having the same puncture wounds as the serial killer's previous victims, is discovered, Jack must determine if this is a copycat crime or the work of a possible accomplice—either of which—could put the killer's only surviving victim in grave danger. As Jack delves deeper into the murder, his vow to keep the victim safe, combined with the secret he's been harboring, begins to take its toll. His sudden inability to confide in his wife, Cheryl, causes their home, which was once a haven for him, to become just another source of tension. An overzealous news team, a threat from his not so distant past, and a mayor who wants the murder swept under the rug, only add to the pressure surrounding Jack as he struggles to do what's right on all levels in this riveting, stand-alone sequel to The Monster of Silver Creek. |


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This is not a job for beginners or for weaklings
Because bottle washing is a job that permits not a single mistake in terms of hygiene and product safety. And at the same time it demands economical utilisation of water as a valuable resource. The bottle washing machines from the Lavatec series show how these two extremes can be reconciled. Whether we're talking limited space available or high outputs, easily soluble labels or tricky cleaning job profiles, multitalented allrounder or affordable basic kit: each Krones bottle washing machine has been designed for different requirements and is an experienced specialist in its chosen field. But for all the distinctive capabilities of each individual model, they all have one thing in common: they bear a major responsibility for your products and our resources – a responsibility they meet and master to perfection.


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Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
IRVING, Texas (AP) - Dallas owner Jerry Jones says the Cowboys aren't ruling Tony Romo out of a winner-take-all game against Philadelphia because doctors could clear him after treating his back injury.
Jones said on his radio show Tuesday that his quarterback has proven he can play with pain but won't if doctors advise against it.
The Cowboys (8-7) and Eagles (9-6) are playing Sunday night in Dallas' third straight season finale against an NFC East rival with the division title and a playoff berth on the line.
Romo was the starter in losses to the New York Giants two years ago and Redskins last season. He injured his back in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 24-23 win at Washington.
Kyle Orton, who hasn't started a game since 2011, is the backup. The team website had a report on Tuesday night that Jon Kitna is coming out of retirement to join the Cowboys as the third quarterback.
The move is pending a physical for the 41-year-old Kitna, who retired after the 2011 season.
Jones said he had lengthy discussions with Romo and his doctors Monday about getting the 33-year-old ready to play. The owner wouldn't discuss the details of Romo's injury.
"If you know Tony, you can't imagine what a competitor he is, and he doesn't want to miss a snap," Jones said. "He was very disappointed, particularly disappointed for his team, repeated over and over again, `Jerry, I can't tell you how badly I feel relative to you and relative to my teammates.'"
Romo didn't miss a game in 2011 after breaking his ribs in Week 2 against San Francisco. He was heavily padded and medicated the next week against Washington and did enough to get the Cowboys an 18-16 win.
"Tony will play with all the pain," Jones said. "But his doctor has to clear him."
If Romo isn't cleared, Orton will make his first start since the 2011 season finale for Kansas City against Denver, the team that waived him earlier that year after making Tim Tebow the starter.
Orton signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract with the Cowboys that offseason _ an investment that Jones says was for just the scenario facing Dallas now.
"The main thing is that it's not like Kyle Orton just gets here this morning or gets here tomorrow morning," Jones said. "Kyle Orton has been here and he knows this system frankly as well as Romo does. And has practiced it. He just doesn't have the game time that he would have had as the starter, and he doesn't get the reps."
Romo and Orton are currently the only quarterbacks on the roster after Alex Tanney was claimed off the practice squad by Cleveland last month.
"If you don't realize that you're going to be dealing with injury information, sudden change in plans, then you're in the wrong area," Jones said. "We're in as good a shape under these circumstances as you could possibly be in. We have planned on this very event."
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org
Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Kitchen Hob the most reliable home appliance
Consumer organisation Which? has surveyed its membership and tracked how long home appliances last before owners start experiencing problems. The survey found the kitchen hob to have the longest life expectancy out of everyday home appliances.
With nine in ten hobs still fault free after ten years, hobs are front runners in Which?'s latest product survey which collected 8, 469 responses in September and October 2016 to find out how long your home appliance will last.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHowever, in contrast to the success of the kitchen hob, freestanding cookers were found to be the least reliable type of appliance with more than a third of freestanding cookers are expected to develop a fault in the first ten years. This increases to nearly half for the least reliable brand of freestanding cooker.
The top three most reliable appliances also includes cylinder vacuum cleaners and tumble dryers whereas the least reliable includes washer dryers and fridge freezers.
Big differences between the best and worst brands
"We conduct a large reliability survey each year so we can tell you the most and least reliable domestic appliance brands in 16 product categories, including washing machines, vacuum cleaners, fridge-freezers and many more," reads their report, published today.
The report also notes large differences between the best and worst-performing brands.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"In some cases, you can almost double your chance of getting a fault in the first ten years with an unreliable brand. And it isn't always the most expensive brands that have the best reliability ratings."
To read the full report, graphic and see results by brand, head over to the which? website.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Windows 7 upgrades Vista laptops to lower battery life
Time to replace your brand new battery
Laptop owners upgrading their Windows XP and Windows Vista machines to Windows 7 are complaining that Microsoft's new OS has severely reduced their available battery life.
One user tells The Reg that after upgrading his circa 2007 HP notebook from Vista to Windows 7, the machine's battery life dropped from two hours to a half hour, and countless others are voicing similar complaints on Microsoft's TechNet forums.
The problem is caused by a new tool designed to alert users when their battery needs replacing. In some cases, according to TechNet posts, this alert appears time and again - even as a battery continues to run as it always did - falsely warning that the machine may suddenly shutdown. But in other cases, the machine does shutdown prematurely. It would seem this occurs well before the battery has run out of juice.
In a statement sent to The Reg, Microsoft has acknowledged the issue, saying it's related to the way Windows 7 reads system firmware. "We are investigating this issue in conjunction with our hardware partners," the statement reads. "The warning received in Windows 7 uses firmware information to determine if battery replacement is needed. We are working with our partners to determine the root cause and will update the [Technet] forum with information and guidance as it becomes available."
According to some users posting to Technet, the issue dates back several months, to the Windows 7 beta. But others say they didn't see a problem until the final "release to manufacturing" (RTM) build. "I was having excellent battery life until I installed the RTM of Windows 7 - all RC and beta builds that I installed I had nearly three hours of battery. Now, I have about 20 minutes and Win7 shuts down my laptop," writes one user.
"This change in behavior happened when I went from an RC to RTM. Instant behavior change. Needless to say, I - like you that have posted here - [am] not happy."
Microsoft confirms that its "consider replacing your battery" warning is new to Windows 7. But the company also says that in some cases, the new tool may be working properly. In other words, if it says your battery needs replacing, it may need replacing. But for so many laptops owners posting to TechNet, this is clearly not the case.
One poster says the problem has occurred on the same machine with two different sets of batteries. "At first, I was thinking the laptop is a couple years old, and sat on a shelf gathering dust, not being stored properly," he writes. "I went to replace the batteries, and realized that HP had recalled them. So i replaced them with brand new batts from the factory. And wala! same issue."
According to posts, the issue occurs across many multiple laptop makes and models, and Microsoft's statement seems to confirm this is the case. ®


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Specialists in antique fireplaces & architectural antiques since 1969
Stock No.4721
A rare Venetian Renaissance antique fireplace mantel from the fifteenth century. This extremely rare chimneypiece is carved in Pietra d'Istria Marble from the Istrian Peninsula near Venice and is attributed to Giorgio da Sebenico, sculptor of the Duomo San Francesco, Cathedral of Ancona, which features near identical images on the portal. Italian, circa 1460. Scale : Large.
Listed Price: POA
Link to: Antique Renaissance, Gothic Tudor Fireplace mantels and Chimneypieces: 1260 - 1600
You can contact us by email, phone or just by completing the enquiry form below:
Items marked with an '*' are required.


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An unnamed B.C. teacher has agreed to cancel their certificate of qualification after a sexual relationship with a recently graduated student came to light.
The teacher, whose information is withheld under the Teachers Act to further protect the identity of the students involved, was employed as a vice-principal before being placed on administrative leave on Mar. 3, 2017.
According to an outcome published online by the BC Teacher Regulation branch, the teacher texted two students during and outside of school hours, first starting in 2016 and continuing after the two students graduated. The texts included inappropriate and unprofessional conduct, specifically involving profanity and comments about drinking alcohol.
That same year, the teacher was involved in an inappropriate sexual relationship with one of the students, shortly after they graduated. In one instance, the teacher gave alcohol to the student, who he knew was a minor, before engaging in sexual activity with them.
"The teacher exploited the student for his sexual advantage," the decision reads.
RELATED: B.C. teacher who left religious school over non-marital sex issue calls for reform
RELATED: B.C. teacher charged with sexual offences involving two youths
On Mar. 26, 2017, the teacher signed an undertaking not to teach at the elementary or secondary school level in B.C.
The teacher, who was issued their qualification certificate in 1995, resigned from the school district on Apr. 30, 2017.
The teacher later agreed to cancel their certificate of qualification and, under the Teachers Act, is unable to be issued a new certificate or letter of permission for five years.
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Running shoes are a controversial subject. Some people believe that the best running shoes are those that provide the most protection against impact forces. Others believe that the best shoes are those that force the wearer to run "correctly." Still others believe that all running shoes cause injuries and slow runners down.
Despite such widespread disagreement, there are a few points of near consensus on the topic of running footwear. For starters, most people agree that some shoes are better than others for each runner. There is also general agreement that no shoe or shoe type is best for all runners. So, how do you find the best running shoe for you?
Here's where the controversy returns. There are two schools of thought on the matter of running shoe selection. On one side are those who believe in a scientific approach, where specific types of shoes are matched to individual runners based on characteristics such as arch height and degree of foot pronation. On the other side are those who believe that the best way to select a running shoe is by feel, the idea being that the more comfortable a shoe feels to its wearer, the more efficiently and healthily he or she will be able to run in it.
The relevant science clearly demonstrates that the existing scientific methods of running shoe selection don't work. It also provides intriguing support for the notion that selecting shoes by feel produces better results.
What Science Says About Running Shoe Selection
In 2009, researchers at the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine conducted a study that proved definitively that assigning shoe types based on foot arch height doesn't reduce injury risk. This study involved roughly 2,700 U.S. Air Force recruits.
At the beginning of basic training, these recruits were separated into two groups of equal size. Members of one group were assigned one of three shoe types based on individual arch height, just as runners are commonly taught to do. Specifically, individuals with high arches were given cushioned shoes, individuals with medium arches were given stability shoes, and individuals with low arches were given motion control shoes. All members of the control group were given stability shoes regardless of individual arch height.
Injuries were tracked in both groups throughout basic training. The researchers found no difference in injury rates between the two groups, and concluded that assigning shoe types based on arch height has no effect on injury risk.
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The Pope officially approved today the publication of the decree of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable John Henry Newman.
The beatification ceremony should happen before the end of the year - and it could take place either in England and Wales or in Rome (since he was also a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church).
In honor of this great event, we repost the speech which the blessed Englishman delivered on the day of his formal reception of the cardinalatial title.
For thirty, forty, fifty years, I have resisted to the best of my powers the spirit of Liberalism in religion. Never did Holy Church need champions against it more sorely than now, when, alas! it is an error overspreading, as a snare, the whole earth; and on this great occasion, when it is natural for one who is in my place to look out upon the world, and upon Holy Church as in it, and upon her future, it will not, I hope, be considered out of place, if I renew the protest against it which I have made so often.
Liberalism in religion is the doctrine that there is no positive truth in religion, but that one creed is as good as another, and this is the teaching which is gaining substance and force daily. It is inconsistent with any recognition of any religion, as true. It teaches that all are to be tolerated, for all are matters of opinion. Revealed religion is not a truth, but a sentiment and a taste; not an objective fact, not miraculous; and it is the right of each individual to make it say just what strikes his fancy. Devotion is not necessarily founded on faith. Men may go to Protestant Churches and to Catholic, may get good from both and belong to neither. They may fraternise together in spiritual thoughts and feelings, without having any views at all of doctrines in common, or seeing the need of them. Since, then, religion is so personal a peculiarity and so private a possession, we must of necessity ignore it in the intercourse of man with man. If a man puts on a new religion every morning, what is that to you? It is as impertinent to think about a man's religion as about his sources of income or his management of his family. Religion is in no sense the bond of society.
Hitherto the civil power has been Christian. Even in countries separated from the Church, as in my own, the dictum was in force, when I was young, that 'Christianity was the law of the land.' Now, everywhere that goodly framework of society, which is the creation of Christianity, is throwing off Christianity. The dictum to which I have referred, with a hundred others which followed upon it, is gone, or is going everywhere; and, by the end of the century, unless the Almighty interferes, it will be forgotten. Hitherto, it has been considered that religion alone, with its supernatural sanctions, was strong enough to secure submission of the masses of our population to law and order; now the Philosophers and Politicians are bent on satisfying this problem without the aid of Christianity. Instead of the Church's authority and teaching, they would substitute first of all a universal and thoroughly secular education, calculated to bring home to every individual that to be orderly, industrious, and sober is his personal interest. Then, for great working principles to take the place of religion, for the use of the masses thus carefully educated, it provides the broad fundamental ethical truths, of justice, benevolence, veracity, and the like, proved experience, and those natural laws which exist and act spontaneously in society, and in social matters, whether physical or psychological - for instance, in government, trade, finance, sanitary experiments, and the intercourse of nations. As to Religion, it is a private luxury, which a man may have if he will; but which of course he must pay for, and which he must not obtrude upon others, or indulge in to their annoyance.
The general nature of this great apostasia is one and the same everywhere; but in detail, and in character, it varies in different countries. For myself, I would rather speak of it in my own country, which I know. There, I think it threatens to have a formidable success; though it is not easy to see what will be its ultimate issue.
At first sight it might be thought that Englishmen are too religious for a movement which, on the continent, seems to be founded on infidelity; but the misfortune with us is, that, though it ends in infidelity as in other places, it does not necessarily arise out of infidelity. It must be recollected that the religious sects, which sprang up in England three centuries ago, and which are so powerful now, have ever been fiercely opposed to the Union of Church and State, and would advocate the unChristianising of the monarchy and all that belongs to it, under the notion that such a catastrophe would make Christianity much more pure and much more powerful. Next the liberal principle is forced on us from the necessity of the case. Consider what follows from the very fact of these many sects. They constitute the religion, it is supposed, of half the population; and recollect, our mode of government is popular. Every dozen men taken at random whom you meet in the streets have a share in political power — when you inquire into their forms of belief, perhaps they represent one or other of as many as seven religions; how can they possibly act together in municipal or in national matters, if each insists on the recognition of his own religious denomination? All action would be at a deadlock unless the subject of religion was ignored. We cannot help ourselves. And, thirdly, it must be borne in mind, that there is much in the liberalistic theory which is good and true; for example, not to say more, the precepts of justice, truthfulness, sobriety, self-command, benevolence, which, as I have already noted, are among its avowed principles, and the natural laws of society. It is not till we find that this array of principles is intended to supersede, to block out, religion, that we pronounce it to be evil. There never was a device of the Enemy so cleverly framed and with such promise of success. And already it has answered to the expectations which have been formed of it. It is sweeping into its own ranks great numbers of able, earnest, virtuous men, elderly men of approved antecedents, young men with a career before them.
Such is the state of things in England, and it is well that it should be realised by all of us; but it must not be supposed for a moment that I am afraid of it. I lament it deeply, because I foresee that it may be the ruin of many souls; but I have no fear at all that it really can do aught of serious harm to the Word of God, to Holy Church, to our Almighty King, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Faithful and True, or to His Vicar on earth.
Christianity has been too often in what seemed deadly peril, that we should fear for it any new trial now. So far is certain; on the other hand, what is uncertain, and in these great contests commonly is uncertain, and what is commonly a great surprise, when it is witnessed, is the particular mode by which, in the event, Providence rescues and saves His elect inheritance. Sometimes our enemy is turned into a friend; sometimes he is despoiled of that special virulence of evil which was so threatening; sometimes he falls to pieces of himself; sometimes he does just so much as is beneficial, and then is removed. Commonly the Church has nothing more to do than to go on in her own proper duties, in confidence and peace; to stand still and to see the salvation of God."Mansueti hereditabunt terram,
Et delectabuntur in multitudine pacis."
[Psalm 36:"The meek shall inherit the earth,
and shall delight in the abundance of peace"]
Biglietto Speech
Rome, May 12, 1879
Rome, May 12, 1879


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3D printer creates hand for toddler
Generosity worthy of applause
A five-year old South African boy born without fingers can now play catch with friends thanks to a prosthetic created by two hobbyist designers and a 3D printer.
Going by the awesome name, Robohand, the plastic paw slips over the hand like a glove, with five strings along the back of the device which control the movement of the fingers. When the wearer bends their wrist, the tension of the strings increases and the fingers are pulled in.
The boy, Liam, is the lucky recipient of the hand after his mother found a blog run by two friends Rich Van As and Ivan Owens, who had been experimenting with prosthetics and writing about their developments. She contacted them and they agreed to create Liam a gauntlet that could replace the fingers he is missing.
Keeping it simple, stupid
What's truly amazing about the Robohand design is how simple it appears to be. There are no wires or electronics and all plastic parts where made using 3D printers. The fruits of their labour can be seen in the video below
Also, Rich and Ivan have decided that their designs will be open source, letting anyone build on them and create even better functionality. The project has been posted to the MakerBot Thingiverse; a repository for 3D printer designs which are free to download and replicate.
This is just the beginning, though. The Robohand team is keen to kick off the next project and are calling for donations to help set themselves up. If you feel generous, head over to their Fundly page.
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text: Shoreline 5k Puerto Rico Trailer Puerto Rico Shoreline 5k Trailer This video takes you on an interactive run along the warm and breezy shoreline starting on Puerto Rico's Vieques Island. Home to wild horses which grace the tropical beaches, you will literally run alongside them, exploring the landscape discovering what secrets the island cares to share. From there you will conclude your run on Palmas Del Mar in Humacao. Enjoy the 5K!


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Looks like my kids are still in special class.
Two heart beats, two good looking sacs, two normal looking babies.
But, just to keep me on the edge of my seat they are measuring a day or two behind where I think they should be. Dr says he is not worried at all, they are both measuring the same (which does make me slightly less paranoid) and also its a new scanner.
I'm going to try and not worry about it (bwah ha ha haaaa - hysterical laughter).
What's with the slackening off of the nausea? Mind fuck!
Good thing was that he did an abdominal u/s - no more vaginal u/s's, YAY!!!!!
Not going to post the pics cos really, it still looks just a (blury) blob inside a (blury) bubble.
Hope is not totally back in action, but she is a bit closer than she has been this week. She's sort of meekly twirling her hair in the corner, small smile on her face. I can see she wants to be let out to play but she can't come out yet. Maybe after 12w. Big maybe. Not promising any thing.


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BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Northern Ireland police are casting a wider net in their efforts to prove that Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams once commanded the outlawed Irish Republican Army and ordered the 1972 killing of a Belfast mother of 10, according to party colleagues and retired militants.
Details of an expanding trawl for evidence emerged Saturday as detectives spent a fourth day questioning Adams about the IRA's abduction, killing and secret burial of Jean McConville 42 years ago — an investigation that has infuriated his IRA-linked party.
Adams had been scheduled to be charged or released by Friday night but a judge granted police a 48-hour extension of his detention. Adams, 65, took part in the court hearing via a video link from the police interrogation center west of Belfast.
Sinn Fein's deputy leader, Martin McGuinness, said he had been told by Adams' legal team that detectives were questioning him about many of his speeches, writings and public appearances going back to the 1970s, when he was interned without trial as an IRA suspect and wrote a newspaper column from prison using the pen name "Brownie."
McGuinness, a former IRA commander who today is the senior Catholic in Northern Ireland's unity government, told a street rally in Catholic west Belfast that police would fail to prove IRA membership claims against Adams, as last happened in 1978, when Adams was arrested in the wake of a hotel firebomb that burned 12 Protestants to death.
"That case was based on hearsay, gossip and newspaper articles. It failed then, and it will fail now," McGuinness said in front of a newly painted mural of a smiling Adams beside the words, "Peacemaker Leader Visionary." Supporters at the rally — which took place across the road from the site of McConville's abduction — held signs showing Adams meeting Nelson Mandela in South Africa.
Aides to Adams and McGuinness said Catholic west Belfast residents with IRA affiliations had been approached by police recently, asking them to make statements about their knowledge of Adams' IRA activities.
And 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the south, in the Republic of Ireland, an IRA veteran who served 31 years in prison for murdering a policeman said a Northern Ireland detective knocked on his door seeking a witness statement. Peter Rogers, 69, said he refused.
Last month Rogers told the BBC he met both Adams and McGuinness in Dublin in 1980 to discuss their plans to smuggle stolen mining explosives from the Irish Republic to England for use in the IRA's bombing campaign on London. Rogers said Adams was annoyed because he had failed to deliver them by ferry across the Irish Sea.
Rogers said he told Adams and McGuinness that the explosives were unstable and could detonate while being transported. He said Adams rejected his concerns.
"Gerry said: 'Look Peter, we can't replace that explosive. You will have to go with what you have, and as soon as you can get it across, the better' ... I was given a direct order," Rogers told the BBC.
Rogers, who in 1972 had escaped from a Royal Navy ship in Belfast used as a temporary prison to hold IRA suspects, was trying to move the explosives in October 1980 when two policemen stopped his van. He fatally shot one of the officers.
Before his Wednesday arrest, Adams rejected Rogers' claims as false. Adams has always maintained he was never an IRA member. According to every credible history of the modern Sinn Fein-IRA movement, he joined the outlawed group in 1966 and rose quickly through the ranks, becoming its Belfast commander in 1972, when he took part in the IRA's first face-to-face truce negotiations with British government leaders in London.
British authorities have struggled to convict senior IRA figures of membership in an outlawed organization, a charge that carries a maximum five-year sentence. To be successful, prosecutions of IRA members usually require forensic evidence or witness testimony. Commanders plan attacks but do not handle weaponry themselves to avoid creating forensic links. And people willing to testify against the IRA are rare, given the likelihood they will face death threats and be forced to flee their homes.
Sinn Fein said most of the detectives' questions being posed to Adams concerned allegations made by IRA veterans in a Boston College-commissioned oral history project. Northern Ireland police successfully sued in U.S. courts to get those audiotaped accounts for use against Adams and others allegedly involved in the McConville slaying, which the IRA long denied but finally claimed in 1999. Her remains were found in 2003.
Reflecting grass-roots Sinn Fein anger at police use of the Boston College tapes, graffiti appeared Saturday in Catholic west Belfast denouncing those IRA veterans who talked on tape as "touts" and "informers" — accusations that typically mean an IRA death sentence.
McGuinness has warned that Sinn Fein could reconsider its support for Northern Ireland's police force — a key 2007 commitment that enabled Sinn Fein to form a power-sharing government alongside Protestant leaders — if Adams is charged with a crime.
Should Sinn Fein withdraw support for law and order, Protestant leaders could end cooperation with Sinn Fein, unraveling a central accomplishment of the region's 1998 peace accord. It also could fuel support for more IRA attacks on police, who in recent years have been able to operate with much less risk of attack in the IRA's working-class Irish Catholic power bases.
In a fresh reminder Saturday that some IRA members remain armed, a Belfast man was arraigned on charges of possessing a cache of Semtex, a powerful Czech-made plastic explosive that the IRA was supposed to have surrendered to authorities nearly a decade ago.
Thomas Hughes, 47, was ordered held without bail after police found about 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) of Semtex in his Belfast apartment, the biggest such find of the explosive in the capital in a decade. Police said it was enough to make about 20 under-car booby trap bombs, which are most commonly placed under the driver's seats of police officers' private cars.
The major IRA faction, the Provisionals, killed nearly 1,800 people — including 284 police officers — before renouncing violence and disarming in 2005. But some of their Libyan-supplied weaponry, most notably Semtex, was seized by breakaway factions that oppose Sinn Fein's role in governing Northern Ireland.
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- Home
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- Fire
- Adopt-a-Hydrant
Adopt-a-Hydrant Program
About the Program
Fire hydrants are an important resource that firefighters rely on in every neighborhood – including yours. In the winter, it is common for fire hydrants to be covered with snow. The Adopt-A-Hydrant community program enables Coralville residents and businesses to:
- take ownership of a fire hydrant in their neighborhood
- keep the hydrant clear of snow, and
- make the hydrant accessible and visible
How It Works
- Adopt a hydrant. When a resident signs up, the Fire Department assigns them their neighborhood fire hydrant, if it has not been adopted. Each participant receives a certificate showing the location of their adopted hydrant.
- Keep it clear. After each snowfall, the resident clears a 3' x 3' area around the adopted hydrant, with an access path 3' wide to the hydrant from the street, so that it is visible and accessible.
- Enter to win.After each snow accumulation of 2" or more, the adopted fire hydrant is inspected by the Coralville Fire Department no sooner than 12 hours after the snowfall ends. If the assigned hydrant has been cleared, the hydrant "owner" is entered into a community gift card drawing held at the end of the winter. The department digs out snow-covered hydrants as needed.
How to Sign Up
To adopt a hydrant in your neighborhood, either:
- Sign up online, or
- Email Nic Pruter with your name, address, phone number, and email address.
Hydrant adopters will be mailed a certificate to confirm their enrollment.
Learn More
For more information, please call the Coralville Fire Department at 319.248.1835.


text: Renew your favorite cotton T-shirt becomes so easy these days when you using some techniques like drawing on T-shirt, or applying a T-Shirt Sticker on it. Today we're going to talk about one of these ways which is talking about how to draw on a t-shirt. The materials you need: You can